More than a Game
by TheBrightestNight
Summary: "Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it's better to leave them broken rather than hurting yourself trying to put them back together." Unknown


**Disclaimer I don't own Twilight**

**A/N: I got this idea from listening to the song "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne. To be clear though, this is **_**not**_** a song-fic.**

**One-shot, AU, AH, some OOC, Alice's POV, and they're all in their twenties, A&J...? Hope you enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

_Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it's better to leave them broken rather than hurting yourself trying to put them back together._

_~ Unknown_

The waiter walked up to my table.

"Ma'am?" he asked patiently. I sighed and looked at my watch. I chewed on my lip as I debated whether or not to stay.

"I'll give him five more minutes." I decided once again. The waiter nodded and walked off.

I rested my chin in the palm of my hand and looked around at the restaurant. It wasn't the fanciest here in Forks, but it was pretty close to it. Nice, dim, cozy lights. Little candles and vases, that held a single tulip, sat in the middle of each table. The room was quiet, not including the soft murmurs of talking people. It was a nice place with a charismatic aura... well for anyone that wasn't me.

I moved my eyes back to the empty chair in front of me. It didn't look warm and comfy like mine. It looked cold and uninviting.

The waiter came back.

"Ma'am?" he asked for about the hundredth time.

I sat back and looked down at the napkin in my lap. I played with the edges, my nails fraying it slightly. I just had to suck it up.

Sighing, I grabbed the napkin and dropped it on my empty plate.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'll leave now." I said standing up and pushing my chair in. The waiter nodded and I headed outside without a backward glance. That was the fifth date this month he'd missed. I know, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy for giving him five chances, but I really love him... well now I was starting to doubt my decisions.

I stood in front of the restaurant under the awning. It was about six and in the middle of the winter. So you can guess it was cold, overcast, and dark. Felt more like midnight than six.

The streets were still alive with people and cars as I finally moved. I crossed the street and turned a few corners until I got to the small foot bridge that held a river beneath. It wasn't too far from the restaurant in case he called with a really, really good excuse for being over an hour late.

No one was on the bridge. I thought this was mildly weird because this was a popular part of town. Even at six there'd be families and couples; young and old. Now it was empty except for one or two couples that came around occasionally, huddled in there poufy coats and ear muffs, their hands stuffed in the pockets and shoulders hunched over.

Shivers racked my body as I walked to the middle, edge of the bridge and looked down at the swirling, churning, black water below me. I didn't feel like going home. Not yet. There was still hope. I didn't want to give up.

I stood there all alone; the only sound was the river, the crickets, and once in a while a passerby. It got relatively darker and darker. I checked my watch and it was now seven-thirty. Feeling absolutely miserable I dropped my wrist and continued to look forward. The trees just looked black against the dimming sky.

Suddenly my phone buzzed and my heart lifted in my chest. I checked the caller ID and felt more hope when I recognized his number. He had texted me. I thought this was odd, but I pushed the aside. Finally! Something from him! Excited I flipped open my phone.

_Hey, sorry I was late._

I didn't really care anymore. Hopefully I'd be able to see him tonight and we could just talk it out and plan something else on another night.

_No, it's okay. We can always plan something on another night._

I texted, hurriedly, back. It was a good thing I had a full keyboard phone. I wasn't into so much of the "text talk".

_Yeah... about that... we really need to talk._

I was confused at first, but maybe he was planning to talk the kind of talk that I had thought about not only a moment ago.

_Sure, where are you?_

I asked, my freezing fingers barely making the keys.

_Oh! Not right now! But tomorrow, I promise._

A bad feeling started to grow replacing the hope. Why did it matter? If he was at home then I'd just walk over there.

_Why not now? Are you out somewhere?_

I texted. His answer came quicker than I expected.

_Yeah, I'm out and extremely busy. But like I said before, tomorrow. Promise._

I was pissed now. He had skipped five dates and he didn't even have the decency or time to stop what he was doing for a few minutes to talk? I had spent all night getting all dolled up for him and now he was blowing me off... again? Not in my book. That was _not_ how it worked.

With my anger and a small nagging feeling guiding me, I stormed my way to the small restaurant I had been waiting at.

What I saw through the window dashed my hopes and just about broke my heart. It felt as if someone had jabbed a jagged, rusty knife into my chest. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

It was _him_ and another woman, sitting in the table I had reserved for us! How dare he cheat on me! I was fuming now. I felt like busting through the doors, grabbing him by the hair, and dragging him outside to explain why he was sitting inside with another girl.

He was apparently having a good time. His once warm, beautiful smile was now on his face as he gazed at the other woman in front of him. They held hands across the table and when he spoke, she laughed, her hazelnut hair shimmering in the dim lights of the restaurant. Occasionally they'd lean forward and share a small kiss.

My hands balled into fists and I gritted my teeth. I felt so betrayed! I felt so broken! I turned away from the window and ran off before my tears started to stream down my face.

When I looked up I found myself, once again, on the bridge. I walked over to the edge and glared at the river. Then I realized it was raining. How I didn't notice this before was beyond me. Either way, I no longer cared. I was done caring. Done wearing my heart on my sleeve. Done giving my heart to the first guy I met. I was just... numb.

Everything was black but there was a street lamp above me this time. I could see the slight glint of the river and my surroundings. That's when I noticed out the corner of my eye a slight gleam. I looked at it fully and noticed that I still had _his_ tennis bracelet on. They weren't even real diamonds. It was some cheap gift he got at a thrift store.

Thinking of him mad my anger well up again. In one swift movement I grabbed the bracelet and jerked it off my wrist, breaking the clasp, and threw it into the river. Maybe some fish would eat it or something.

The rain continued to pour down as another hour passed. I was surprised that some people still passed by me. If they saw me they didn't say.

My phone buzzed. I didn't even look at the caller ID. I ignored it, but when it continued I took it out of my purse and threw it to the ground. It still continued to buzz, so I smashed my heel onto it and kept that up until it finally shut up. It was just a pile of shrapnel now. Not that it mattered.

I turned back to the railing and rested my elbows on it, then rested my chin on my palms. I stared into the distance and sighed. The rain continued.

I lost track of time and was too lazy to check. If I could, I would've stood out there, just like a statue, my whole life. I could just see myself as a cold, stone, unfeeling marble statue, titled: BROKEN HEARTED.

Suddenly the light dimmed, the sound of the rain changed and stopped falling on me. Hope welled up, all my anger melting away. Maybe he'd noticed me. Maybe he was coming to apologize and promise to never do it again. Maybe there was still a future for us.

I quickly turned around but who I saw wasn't him. The numbness and hurt crept over me again as I looked at the person in front of me. He was shrouded in darkness, but he was definitely taller than _him_.

"Ma'am?" he asked. At first I thought it was waiter from the restaurant but then I registered that this man had a slight southern twang. When I didn't answer the man stepped forward and was instantly bathed in light.

He was... handsome, to say the least. Tall, lean, yet muscular. He had shaggy honey-blond hair that shined in the light of the lamp above. His eyebrows were slightly puckered and he had a worried look on his face.

I didn't know what to say. I was stunned into silence. My heart beat irregularly.

"What's a pretty lady like yourself doing, standing all alone out here in the wet and cold?" he asked his slight southern accent making my heart flutter. I opened and closed my mouth but no sound came out. I sounded like a dying fish drying up on land. This made me blush. The man smiled and chuckled. "Well, listen, I have someone waiting for me. If you'd like we could make a quick stop by your house."

I was about to say okay but nodded instead. I couldn't talk right now. My emotions were way out of wack.

He held out his hand and I took it without thinking. It was soft and oh-so warm.

"Oh," he exclaimed. "You're as cold as death." His eyebrows puckered again and I couldn't help but smile at his cute expression. "I can take care of that." he said before struggling to get his jacket off while still holding the umbrella up. I started to object but realized just how cold I really was.

When he did finally manage it he held it up for me. Biting my lip I stepped over and slowly slid my freezing, wet arms into the too long sleeves. The warm on my skin made my shiver. The smell coming off of his jacket made my heart splutter.

"T-t-thank y-y-you." I managed to say blushing and giving him a small smile.

He smiled back. "My pleasure. Now why don't we get going? It'll be the death of me if I'm late." I nodded and huddled next to his warm body as we walked off the bridge. We had only gone a block when I saw the only car parked at the curb, and a figure—also holding an umbrella—pacing back and forth.

"Uh oh. Here it comes." I heard him mutter under his breath. I giggled. He looked down at me and I blushed. He smiled.

As we got closer the blurry figure became a sharper image of a person. If I squinted really hard I could see some yellow, or blond atop the person's head.

Then the person stopped pacing and looked up at both of us. I noticed that person was a she; and she was very pretty. Tall and statuesque. Her golden-blond hair was tied up in a bun with some curled strands hanging at the sides. She dressed casually, in jeans and a black, fabric trench coat. Instantly I felt a pull of some emotion that I didn't want to feel. Why should I care if this could possibly be his girlfriend?

"Oh!" she called running up to us and giving the man a big bear hug before stepping back and hitting him. "I was so worried! What took you so long?" That's when she noticed me. "Oh! Who do we have here?"

"This is—" the man broke off. I guess he realized that he hadn't asked my name... nor had I asked his. "I'm sorry! I forgot to ask—what's your name?" he looked down at me.

"I-I-I'm A-A-A-Alice." I was still freezing. Even with his insanely warm jacket.

The woman looked at the man with her eyebrows raised. I was instantly afraid that he'd insulted his girlfriend and maybe I should just leave. After all, I knew what that felt like.

"Jasper..."

Was that his name? Jasper. I mused over this. A little old; hadn't really heard of it since history in high school.

I liked it.

"Rose, I was only being polite." Jasper murmured giving her a sheepish look.

"Well," her tone of voice made it sound like she was mad. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" she finished.

"Rose—" he objected. She stared him down. "Rosalie, this is Alice. Alice, my sister, Rosalie. There, happy?"

The one named Rosalie smiled, pleased, and nodded before looking at me with a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you."

I smiled back—feeling much better that I had found out she was merely his sister—and shook her hand. She clicked her tongue.

"Jasper, she's freezing! Come on, we need to get her in the car and turn the heat up on high." Rosalie chided. Must've been the older sister. "Come on, no time to waste." she said turning abruptly on her heel and walking toward the car. Jasper and I exchanged looks before following her.

He helped me into their black Hummer. Rosalie had already started the car and had the heat on. Then he got into the passenger's seat but we didn't start driving.

"So is anyone going to tell me what happened?" Rosalie asked after a few minutes.

"I was heading over to you and saw her standing on the bridge, all alone in the rain." Jasper explained.

Rosalie looked at me through the rear-view mirror, an eyebrow raised.

"Long story." I croaked. At least I was feeling warmer and could actually feel my lips, fingers, and toes.

"Honey, I'm a girl too. I think I can keep up." she said.

I smiled and gave a small laugh, but then sighed when I thought of what I was going to tell her. "My boyfriend, Richard." I muttered. "He stood me up for the fifth time and tonight I caught him with another woman."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Men." she spat disgusted. "Never thinking with their brains. Don't worry, hon, all men are jerks or morons or pigs." she assured me.

Jasper looked insulted. "I can't help what I am!"

His sister looked over at him, smiled, and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Jazz, you're not a man."

Jasper turned away and muttered, "Thanks, Rose, that makes me feel _so_ much better!"

Rosalie laughed and Jasper looked back at her with that cute, insulted look on his face.

"You didn't let me finish, Jazz!" she gasped between giggles. "You're not a man"—Jasper opened his mouth but Rosalie continued before he could say anything—"you're a gentleman."

Her brother closed his mouth and smiled.

"Thanks Rose." No sarcasm this time. Rosalie then looked up at me through the rear-view mirror again and winked. I smiled.

"Okay! Where to my dear?" Rosalie asked.

I was confused at first. "Oh, um, well, if you don't mind... I would like to go home."

"Of course! Just tell me where and I'd be happy to be your chauffeur for the night."

She sure did know how to make a person feel better.

I told her where I lived and how to get there and within minutes were parked in my driveway. I sighed when I saw my house. The lights were on, glowing warmly and invitingly. Luckily it had finally stopped raining.

"Thanks again you guys." I said feeling so grateful. "I really appreciate it."

Rosalie turned to look at me through the darkness. "No prob. I'm always happy to help out."

"I'll... walk you to the door." Jasper murmured as I slipped out of the Hummer. The car turned off as I closed the door, the noise echoed when Jasper closed his door.

He came over to my side and held out his arm. I looped mine through his and we walked to the door. I got the keys out of my purse and looked up at him again, biting my lip.

"Um, thanks." I mumbled.

"I'm always here to help out a beautiful lady in need." he answered. I blushed.

Then I remembered I had his jacket on. "Oh, I should give this back—"

"No, no, that's alright." he objected. "Keep it."

"But—" I broke off when he brought a napkin out of his pocket. It had a number on it.

I was stunned as Jasper, a person I'd just met a few minutes ago, put the napkin in my hand and said, "Call me... sometime. Okay?"

I bit my lip, but smiled. "S-sure."

Jasper smiled. "Good. I guess I'll... talk to you later then?" he asked walking down one of the steps.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Bye." he said with a small wave of his hand.

I gave my own small wave. "Bye." I said before turning and going into my house. It was warm and comforting. My cat, Mr. Mew, came up to me, rubbed up against my legs, and purred. I bent down and petted my fluffy, soft, black cat with one white paw.

I picked him up and his purring got louder. I buried my face in his fur.

"Well at least I know there's one male in my life who won't cheat or break-up with me." I told him. He mewed.

I sighed and started to walk down the hallway to go change and take a nice hot shower. I was only a few steps in before I heard a knock at the door.

Turning around I walked toward the door wondering who that could be. Still holding Mr. Mew in my hands I opened the door to see two familiar faces. There car was even parked in my driveway.

"Oh, hey guys. Is there something you need?" I asked looking at the two blond-haired siblings standing on the threshold.

"Well, we felt bad about, you know, you're boyfriend and all, and we thought maybe we could invite you to come hang out with our friends we were supposed to meet ten minutes ago?" Rosalie explained in-one-big-sentence-without-taking-a-single-breath.

I laughed. "That sounds... fun. I would love to join you. But... I do need to change and take a shower. Um, why don't you come on in and make yourselves at home. I'll only be a few minutes. Mr. Mew here can entertain you. Right, Mr. Mew?" I asked.

He looked at me and yawned. I laughed and set him down before opening the door wider so they could come in.

"Um, the living room is just straight through this hallway." I told them. Rosalie nodded and headed down. Jasper stayed behind as I closed the door.

"So, what did Mr. Mew say that was so funny?" he asked.

I smiled and turned to face him, I was sure my face was cherry red as I said, "Oh, I kind of made it up in my head, but... um, he said: 'What do I look like? An entertainment system?'."

Jasper smiled. I relaxed... slightly.

"Um... well, I'd better get ready so we don't keep your friends waiting." I said awkwardly pointing down the hall. "Just, feel free to make yourself at home." I repeated slowly inching down the hall. When I got the staircase that you didn't see until you actually passed it, I took the steps two by two, picked out my clothes, and quickly hopped into the shower.

The hot water felt so good on my cold skin. When I was done I put on jeans, a black tunic, a black tie, and wore a hair band with a big white lily off to the side.

I skipped downstairs, got my glossy black flats on, and then grabbed a white, leather trench coat from the closet. After, I headed into the living room. They were sitting on the couch talking quietly.

"Um... I'm ready." I announced. They looked up and then stood up. Rosalie walked ahead of Jasper and I, and out the door quickly. We stopped at the door. I turned toward him.

"Uh... here's your coat." I mumbled holding it up for him.

Jasper cleared his throat and my head snapped up. He had a rueful glint in his eyes. "Thank you." he said taking his coat.

"You're welcome." I said briskly before heading outside. Then I remembered that I still needed to lock the door. I let Jasper pass me before I ran back in, grabbed my keys and purse, then dashed back out and locked the door. I was in such a rush to get down the two stone steps that I slipped on a puddle of water and started to fall forward. Luckily, Jasper happened to be waiting at the bottom of those two steps, and he caught me.

I flushed a really deep red as I regained my balance.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled taking a step back.

He merely chuckled and said, "Come on, our friends will be waiting for us."

The drive there was short and when we parked I thought we had made a mistake. Then, when the siblings got out I hoped that we were walking across the street, although if we did all we would find was a mattress store. I didn't exactly think that they were going to meet their friends at a mattress store.

I hesitantly got out of the car and glanced nervously through the window of the very restaurant I found out my boyfriend—excuse me, _ex_-boyfriend—was cheating on me... and they were _still_ there! I couldn't believe this!

I guess Rosalie saw that I looked really uneasy because she walked over to me and led me a few feet away from Jasper, who was looking at us with a questioning look.

"Something wrong?" she asked in a low voice.

I nodded still chewing on my lip. "My ex. He's in there." I whispered back still looking at them through the window. They looked so happy. That made me angry. That man didn't deserve happiness.

Rosalie followed my gaze and I could just see she had an "aha!" moment.

"Come on, darlin'." she said tugging at my elbow. "If he comes over I'll be there to have your back. You have to get over him! Let him be." she coaxed as she dragged me back over to Jasper and the front doors of the restaurant.

I had no idea why I answered, "Okay." and followed them inside. I was nervous as heck. My heart was pounding in my chest as the waiter, the same _exact_ waiter who had asked me about my order several hundred times before he realized that I wasn't going to order, smiled and greeted us. I actually looked at his name tag and found out that his name was Andrew.

"Table for three?" Andrew asked politely his eyes flickering in my direction.

"Actually we're under the Hale reservations." Rosalie corrected.

Andrew smiled, said, "This way please." and led us through the dining room to a booth in the back where three people were waiting. A big, burly man with curly, brown hair. A soft, slender woman, with long, dark brown hair, and then, a lanky man with unkempt, bronze hair.

I half hid behind Jasper, but made it look like I was just standing behind them.

The big burly one stood up.

"Where have you been?" he asked in a deep, booming voice. "We've been waiting for about a half-hour."

I stepped out from behind Jasper and raised my hand. "That would be my fault."

Three pairs of curious eyes fell onto me. I tried not to freak out.

"Who's this?" The slender, brown haired one asked.

Rosalie stepped in front of her brother and put a hand on my shoulder. "Guys, this is Alice. Alice, this is Edward"—Rosalie pointed to the one with bronze hair. I waved and he smiled. "Bella, Edward's girlfriend"—she pointed to the brown haired woman. I gave another wave and Bella gave a quiet greeting. "And lastly Emmett, my boyfriend." she finished pointing to the big burly one.

"This is great!" Emmett exclaimed. "It's so nice to meet you, Alice!" he said before putting an arm around Jasper's shoulders. "You here with this stick in the mud?" he asked pointing to Jasper. I opened my mouth to tell him no, but he continued before I could speak. "Because he needs to liven up a little! Maybe you're just the girl, huh?"

Jasper grumbled something incomprehensible and pushed Emmett's arm off his shoulders. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Sorry about him. He can be so immature sometimes." she muttered.

Bella snorted. "_Sometimes?_ I think you mean _all_ the time." she corrected. I laughed.

Emmett sat down with a hand over his heart and said dramatically, "I'm hurt!" He dropped the facade as quickly as it had come on and gave Bella a big bear hug. She protested which sounded strangely like a strangled cry for help.

Rosalie sat down in the booth (leaving me and Jasper standing next to each other awkwardly) and smacked her goof of a boyfriend on the arm.

"Emmett, be nice!" she scolded. He instantly let go of Bella.

"Sorry, Rose." he said hanging his head.

"Come on Jazz, come sit down." Rosalie insisted patting the seat next to her. Sighing he slid into the booth. This forced me to sit on the end, right next to Jasper. I took my coat off and fidgeted still feeling a little awkward. I could feel the heat coming off Jasper's body. It was comforting and unnerving at the same time.

After a few minutes the waitress, named Kim, came up and we ordered our drinks and food.

"So, Alice, what do you do for a living?" Edward asked after the waitress had left.

"Oh, well..." I blushed and tried to remember what I did for my job. I didn't exactly like being put on the spot like that. "I actually work for a local fashion magazine."

"Ooh! What do you do?" Rosalie asked instantly absorbed into the conversation.

"Um, well, I actually design some of the clothing featured in the magazine." I mumbled blushing even more.

Rosalie was grinning for ear to ear. "Really? Did you do that electric blue dress? The one with—"

"—a silk ribbon tied in a bow around the waist." we finished together.

"Yeah, I did." I answered.

"Oh, my God! That's awesome! That's so cool! I love your designs. I think you're so amazing."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that."

The waitress then appeared with a big tray with our drinks; behind her was another tray of our orders. We ate and laughed. I was having a wonderful time... that is until Richard finally decided to notice me.

He cleared his throat and we all stopped to look up at him. He looked pissed. I repressed an eye roll. I found him cheating on me and _he_ was the one who was pissed? Uh-uh. That was _not_ how it worked.

"May I talk to you, Alice." he requested in a cold voice. I wasn't going to let this jerk push me around.

"I'm sorry, but if you'll just excuse me." I said before setting my napkin on the table and standing up. Richard turned and led me outside. As soon as we were out, he turned so quickly I almost crashed into him.

"What do you think you're doing!" he hissed.

I had been holding in my anger all night and finally I just let it flow over.

"You shouldn't be mad. Tell me why exactly you're with that girl in there? Hm? I thought we had something!" I yelled. Richard opened his mouth but I continued tired of hearing his excuses. "And why have you been late for the last five dates? Why do you keep coming up with these lame excuses about you being busy, or sick, or stuck in traffic? I was willing to give you another chance!" Now I was crying. I hated that though. I hated looking so weak in front of him. "But then I found you with _her_. How. Could. You?"

"Do you want to know why exactly I don't love you anymore? Why I cheated on you?" he spat.

I nodded still crying, but still furious.

"Because you are the worst girlfriend a man could ever have!" I was taken aback by this sudden statement. "You're job is... stupid! You're not pretty. You're not attractive! You live at home alone with a cat! You're just... all wrong! You're nothing!"

"And what? She's all off what I'm not?" I asked my voice shaking and breaking. I wasn't even angry anymore. I was just... hurt.

"All that and more. _She_ happens to be a model. _She_ doesn't live home alone with her cats! _She_ is actually attractive—"

"I get it!" I cried. "Just... just go! Go back in there with your... stupid _model_!" I spat.

"Oh, I will. And I'll enjoy it! I'm _so_ glad I'm not with you anymore!" he said before shoving past me and back into the restaurant. I stood there, sobbed, and wiped away the tears as they came.

His words shouldn't matter to me but his words still stung like bee stings. I was wrong? I wasn't pretty? I wasn't attractive? I was... nothing?

"Alice?" a soft voice came from behind me.

I continued to wipe away my tears, but kept my sobbing quietly.

"What?" I asked miserably.

"Are you okay?" the voice asked again.

"Do I look okay?" I asked.

I heard him walk up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You're not nothing." Jasper murmured.

With that I turned around as he pulled me into his arms. We both stood there; I sobbed and Jasper held me tightly. I felt, warm and safe there, in his arms. When I was with him, I felt I _was_ something. I _was_ pretty. I _was_ attractive. I was me, and I was perfect in every way.

_Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning._

_~ Unknown_

* * *

**I hoped you liked it!**

**.happiness.**

**~ I Heart Alice and Jasper!**

**(\_/)  
(O.o)  
****(_ _) Last Updated 1.5.11**


End file.
